2 Samuel 22:1-51, NLT

2 Samuel 22

David’s Song of Praise

1David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.

2He sang:

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

3my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

He is my refuge, my savior,

the one who saves me from violence.

4I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

5“The waves of death overwhelmed me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

6The grave*22:6 Hebrew Sheol. wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

7But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;

yes, I cried to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry reached his ears.

8“Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the heavens shook;

they quaked because of his anger.

9Smoke poured from his nostrils;

fierce flames leaped from his mouth.

Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

10He opened the heavens and came down;

dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

11Mounted on a mighty angelic being,*22:11a Hebrew a cherub. he flew,

soaring*22:11b As in some Hebrew manuscripts (see also Ps 18:10); other Hebrew manuscripts read appearing. on the wings of the wind.

12He shrouded himself in darkness,

veiling his approach with dense rain clouds.

13A great brightness shone around him,

and burning coals*22:13 Or and lightning bolts. blazed forth.

14The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

15He shot arrows and scattered his enemies;

his lightning flashed, and they were confused.

16Then at the command of the Lord,

at the blast of his breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

17“He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

18He rescued me from my powerful enemies,

from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

19They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,

but the Lord supported me.

20He led me to a place of safety;

he rescued me because he delights in me.

21The Lord rewarded me for doing right;

he restored me because of my innocence.

22For I have kept the ways of the Lord;

I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

23I have followed all his regulations;

I have never abandoned his decrees.

24I am blameless before God;

I have kept myself from sin.

25The Lord rewarded me for doing right.

He has seen my innocence.

26“To the faithful you show yourself faithful;

to those with integrity you show integrity.

27To the pure you show yourself pure,

but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.

28You rescue the humble,

but your eyes watch the proud and humiliate them.

29O Lord, you are my lamp.

The Lord lights up my darkness.

30In your strength I can crush an army;

with my God I can scale any wall.

31“God’s way is perfect.

All the Lord’s promises prove true.

He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

32For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

33God is my strong fortress,

and he makes my way perfect.

34He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

35He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

36You have given me your shield of victory;

your help*22:36 As in Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text reads your answering. has made me great.

37You have made a wide path for my feet

to keep them from slipping.

38“I chased my enemies and destroyed them;

I did not stop until they were conquered.

39I consumed them;

I struck them down so they did not get up;

they fell beneath my feet.

40You have armed me with strength for the battle;

you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

41You placed my foot on their necks.

I have destroyed all who hated me.

42They looked for help, but no one came to their rescue.

They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.

43I ground them as fine as the dust of the earth;

I trampled them*22:43 As in Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Ps 18:42); Masoretic Text reads I crushed and trampled them. in the gutter like dirt.

44“You gave me victory over my accusers.

You preserved me as the ruler over nations;

people I don’t even know now serve me.

45Foreign nations cringe before me;

as soon as they hear of me, they submit.

46They all lose their courage

and come trembling*22:46 As in parallel text at Ps 18:45; Hebrew reads come girding themselves. from their strongholds.

47“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!

May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

48He is the God who pays back those who harm me;

he brings down the nations under me

49and delivers me from my enemies.

You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;

you save me from violent opponents.

50For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;

I will sing praises to your name.

51You give great victories to your king;

you show unfailing love to your anointed,

to David and all his descendants forever.”